Captain Michael Vaughan completed a fluent 140 for England to draw the fourth cricket Test on Wednesday and inflict the worst home series defeat against the West Indies in almost 50 years.
After trailing on the first innings by 466 runs, England was 422 for five when West Indies captain Brian Lara conceded the draw with a half-hour remaining at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
Before 3 000 English fans, Vaughan lifted the Wisden Trophy his side had retained after winning the second Test in Trinidad. The third-Test victory in Barbados secured England’s first series victory in the Caribbean since 1968, and the draw made sure England completed only the second 3-0 win on West Indies soil, after the 1955 Australian side.
Lara’s record of 400 not out propped up the West Indies’ 751-5 declared, and after England was bowled out for 285, Lara enforced the follow-on, but fell five wickets short of a consolation win.
Vaughan, 61 overnight, lashed 20 boundaries off 268 balls in almost six hours in posting his 11th Test century in his 45th match.
Marcus Trescothick (88) just missed out on a ton of his own, and there were half-centuries for Mark Butcher (61) and Nasser Hussain (56).
When England lost three wickets for 42 runs to the part-time spinners in the final session, the home team sniffed an unlikely win.
But Graham Thorpe (23 not out) and Geraint Jones (10 not out) steadied the visitors’ nerves to ensure the West Indies would not force a consolation win.
Leg-spinner Ramnaresh Sarwan took two for 26 and Ryan Hinds claimed 2-83 to lead the local bowling.
Vaughan and opening partner Trescothick resumed at 145 without loss with both in sight of three figures. Vaughan continued from 61 while left-hander Trescothick was on 74.
The Somerset man reeled off two boundaries as he closed in on a sixth Test hundred in his 47th match. But 12 runs short he scooped a slower ball from pacer Fidel Edwards to short extra cover.
Trescothick and Vaughan added 182 for the first wicket, a Test best between the pair, beating the 168 they racked against Sri Lanka in 2002 at Lord’s.
Trescothick batted four hours and faced 188 balls in a knock spiced with 10 boundaries.
Vaughan, 80 when he lost Trescothick, continued to bat with confidence and passed three figures 15 minutes before the interval.
It was a trademark stroke that brought him his landmark, a searing off drive producing his 13th boundary. His century took five hours and occupied 210 balls.
Vaughan’s innings was eventually ended a half-hour after lunch when Sarwan claimed him to a gloved catch to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs.
Butcher and Hussain added a further 92 for the third wicket on the benign pitch. But when an ugly, cross-batted slog from Butcher off Hinds ended with a slip catch to Chris Gayle, there were a few English wobbles. Butcher stroked six fours off 163 balls in 216 minutes.
Hinds also accounted for Hussain after his half-century, bowling the experienced right-hander behind his back as he swept. Hussain cracked seven fours off 107 deliveries in two hours, 10 minutes.
Sarwan’s rank full toss removed first-innings century-maker Flintoff three overs into the final hour, but the West Indies were not able to make any more inroads. — Sapa-AP